Video-based measurements of maize stalk movement
Measuring the impact of brace roots on lodging resistance in maize.
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July 14, 2022
Tagged: maize
January 7, 2022
Resilience of crops confirms that drought alone did not cause a ‘collapse’ in Mayan civilisation
In the 800s, Mayan cities in southeastern Mexico and Central America were abandoned – just as drought hit the region. But a botanical study shows that the connection between drought and depopulation was not simple.
Continue reading Resilience of crops confirms that drought alone did not cause a ‘collapse’ in Mayan civilisation
October 18, 2021
New maize reference genome may help grow genetically modified lines of corn more easily
The ugly duckling of corn may hold the key to having better grains in the future.
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September 9, 2021
Improving roots for crops could improve habitats for wildlife
New research finds that root capturing more nutrients could help wildlife breathe many miles away.
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August 31, 2021
The diversity and capacity of maize to adapt to a changing climate rests in the hands of farmers
The diversity of maize in the community of Yaxcabá, Yucatán, is shared among farmers. They select seeds that are most resistant to unfavourable climatic conditions and, by exchanging or selling them, they safeguard the diversity and resilience of maize.
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March 18, 2021
Root hairs more important than root exudate in rhizosheath formation
Exudates did bind soil to the roots, but were unable to compensate for the absence of root hairs.
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February 18, 2021
Colder temperatures better for long-term maize seed storage
Seeds were found to vary from one accession to the next in their cold storage longevity.
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February 22, 2020
Auxin redistribution modifies maize root proliferation
We know that maize roots chase after phosphorus, but how? Xin Wang and colleagues have been investigating what purpose the hormone auxin has in controlling root proliferation. Their work could help better understand how plants work to capture phosphates in the soil. Plants require phosphorus to grow, and it’s essential for any crop. But it is often unevenly distributed in the soil as phosphates, and plants have to go foraging for it. Roots can take a lot of effort to build, so controlling when to create new roots is an important trait for plants. When a plant hits a phosphate-rich...
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February 7, 2020
Sweetcorn a better target than other maizes for Zinc biofortification
Earlier consumption and less processing makes sweetcorn a better source of dietary zinc.
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September 18, 2019
A new study reveals how the cuticle protects maize leaves
The cuticle is a waxy covering of a leaf that helps prevent water-loss. A new study of adult maize leaves shows it’s not a simple structure.
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July 8, 2019
Red:far-red photoreceptors in maize determine plant growth and grain yield
Phytochrome B is a photoreceptor that controls plant plasticity and resource partitioning. Little is known about its impact on maize crops.
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January 23, 2019
Maize glycosyltransferase modifies flavonols and enhances stress tolerance
Flavonols are plant produced secondary metabolites and could exert health-promoting effects in humans. To become stable and functional molecules, flavonols are firstly biosynthesized and then modified, mostly by adding sugar donors via glycosylation. Flavonoid biosynthesis derives from the phenylalanine metabolic pathway and has been well characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana. Li et al. reveal that the maize (Zea mays) flavonol glycosyltransferse UFGT2 plays major roles in the flavonol modification, and could also help the plants to cope with abiotic stresses. It is a candidate gene for improving the grain quality and crop traits in stress tolerance. With the aggravation of environmental...
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October 31, 2018
Integrated approach to maximize trait selection
There were many great articles concerning cross-disciplinary research at the interface between plant biology, mathematics and computer science before the launch in silico Plants (isP). We are excited for isP to be home to these types of articles in the future.
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October 29, 2018
In situ analyses of inorganic nutrient distribution in sweetcorn and maize kernels
Understanding the spatial distribution of inorganic nutrients within edible parts of plant products helps biofortification efforts to identify and focus on specific uptake pathways and storage mechanisms. Cheah et al. harvested kernels of sweetcorn (Zea mays) variety ‘High zeaxanthin 103146’ and maize inbred line ‘Thai Floury 2’ at two different maturity stages. They then examined, and the distributions of K, P, S, Ca, Zn, Fe and Mn in situ using synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy. The distribution of inorganic nutrients was largely similar between maize and sweetcorn, but differed markedly depending upon the maturity stage after further embryonic development. The micronutrients...
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